Check You License Renewal

[VK5PL]

Another thing to watch out for is if you have upgraded.
My Standard expired in Jan 2016, I passed the exam to Advanced in June 2015.
Under the old system my Standard was cancelled and the Advanced issued to the same expiry date.
However, because my last licence period was only 7 months (passing the Advanced in June to new expiry date in Jan), when I received the renewal that was also for only 7 months.
I did not realise when I paid online that the expiry was in 7 months, but they have now reset my licence period to 12 months.
So in August 2016 when my Advanced expires hopefully I will get a renewal to next August.
Apparently the new system takes your last licence period, to set the next expiry date.
This may not be too much of a problem with the system now because they don't transfer your licence if you upgrade but issue a complete new one, so you could have two licences at the same time. ie an F call and a Standard or Standard and Advanced.

[VK3ZAZ]

Seen a lot about this lately and all I can say is its our own responsibility no ifs or buts!
Insurance
Rego
Rates
Bills
Pilots medical.
We have numberplate recognition here and it wont cut any ice to say never got a renewal notice, when you get booked for $500
I have half a dozen classic cars and know when every one is due.
Its not rocket science,
You need a system its no one elses fault.
Had a ham lic since 1963 never lost a callsign due to no payment
My overseas licences are still current
Due by date and a diary entry or whatever

[VK4GJW]

Totally agree! In ALL cases, a reminder notice, renewal notice, what ever you want to call them, they are a COURTESY and not a RIGHT! It has always been, is now, and will always will be the owner/licencee's responsibility to ensure that THEY know when to renew/reregister. Grow up people and take responsibility for your own affairs.

[VK4TI]

Good business would suggest a reminder by email or similar would generate a higher re-knewl rate , and is good customer service

[VK7XX]

Some people appear to not be getting notices, but for what its worth, I received a renewal notice today for my licence that is due near the end of the month.

John
VK7X

[VK3BA]

How's everyone's license renewals going lately?

I've renewed two of my licenses (amateur & outpost non-assigned) earlier this month, the online payment went ok, my bank account shows a transfer to ACMA Belconnen but the ACMA database still shows them as expired. So I'm a pirate operator now...

I've contacted the ACMA and waiting for a response.

Is anyone else having similar dramas?

Cheers,

[VK5TM]

My online payment went OK, but the acknowledgement letter didn't arrive until well after the expiry date (database showed all OK).

[VK3ALB]

Well what a load of bollocks and no, I haven't missed a renewal date.

Yes it may be a courtesy to send a reminder or a renewal but every other financial transaction I've done through the whole of my life has commenced with a invoice of some kind. I even get reminders if for some reason the payment is not made in time. You can bet your house that the ACMA won't leave it to chance that NBN Co will remember their renewal date and send in their payment.

OK, let's just say that this is a really good customer service policy and the customer is always wrong. Wasn't the ACMA website upgraded recently? How hard would it have been to put a link to the online renewal page on this page so we can look after our own business? Better still a link to the online renewal page straight off the ACMA site map. They have Making Payments page but for some reason you can't actually make payments from there or any of the links below this level. Instead the easiest way forward seems to be to phone 1300 850 115 or send an email to info@acma.gov.au.

No doubt some of you have a saved link directly to the correct page or have called or emailed someone at the ACMA to help you through the process but surely in 2016 it should be a simple matter for me to remember that my license is due for renewal, jump on the website, hit the renewal link and pay the required amount? I would even be happy enough to set up a direct debit with the ACMA to help them maintain their revenue stream.

I'd be happy for one of you to show me how a crusty old fart can get to the online renewal page. Is it here where it says "Please enter the Invoice Number from your ACMA supplied Invoice" - hang on!? According to legislation the ACMA are not obliged to send renewals/invoices - now what?

Yes we all need to make sure our business is in order - no problem with that but for the ACMA to say, "We don't have to send renewals but we do so as a courtesy" is a cop out. If that's the case then make the process easy enough that your customers can manage renewals simply not by a phone call or email but an online shop front or similar.

For those of you that think I'm having a sook that's fine carry on but consider that not all of us as as smart and infallible as you and mistakes do happen. We all know some older ham that has very little besides AR in their life. They may not be as internet savvy as you but may just fall foul of this poorly thought out arrangement. Older folks don't "get over it" as easily as younger people and things like this affect them deeply. Younger folks with less commitment to the hobby may also fall foul of this arrangement and decide it's not worth the effort to fight over getting their callsign back - another one bites the dust.

WIA, you've got some skin in this game, do you think suggesting we call 1300 850 115 or send an email to info@acma.gov.au enough?

[VK5ZLR]

but for the ACMA to say, "We don't have to send renewals but we do so as a courtesy" is a cop out.

I agree entirely, especially as the ACMA is a Gov. dept with an obligation to the public/licencees, not vice versa.

[VK2CSW]

Hi Lou,

With all due respect, what is the point of whining about ACMA service here?

Bring it up with the ACMA as you are a client of theirs. Maybe you could rattle the cage of your Local federal MP and the relevant minister.

These things are far more likely to elicit change than making comment on a amateur radio forum.

[VK3ALB]

Hi Lou,

With all due respect, what is the point of whining about ACMA service here?

Yes Colin you're right however this is very topical at the moment - it was even brought up on the broadcast again this morning. I didn't start the thread, I just added my opinion as others have done.

[VK3TU]

Wasn't the ACMA website upgraded recently?

The ACMA website used to be amongst the worst and least intuitive I'd ever come across. The new one is no improvement, a tech-savvy teenager could do better.

Bert
VK3TU

[VK5TM]

The ACMA website used to be amongst the worst and least intuitive I'd ever come across. The new one is no improvement, a tech-savvy teenager could do better.

a non-tech-savvy teenager could do better.

Seems to be the way of high end commercial and government websites these days, make it as hard as possible to find the info you want and hope you will go away, never to bother them again.

[VK2QW]

Hi All,
I checked the database today and it showed my license as having expired on 17/7. I did receive a reminder and the fee was paid on 5/7. I spoke just now with a helpful ACMA staffer who confirmed their payment database shows my payment as received on 5/7. Their problem is the payment database and the license database are not talking to each other at the moment. It was supposed to have been fixed last week but hasn't. Should be this week. I guess there would be a few other licensees in the same boat.
I was told that I am licensed as they have record of my payment - it just doesn't show that in the search. Hopefully all will be fixed this week.
It pays to check.
Cheers,
Tony VK2QW

[VK3KTO]

Hi all
It looks like acma's problems are not confind to amateur licences. As the treasurer of a local boat club, I received a Notice of expiry of the club's Maritime Coast Licence, complete with all the dire warnings should we operate the station. Upon checking my records I found that the licence was due to be paid by the 13th of July, had in fact been paid on July 4th and the cheque had been presented on July 6th. I have politely informed acma of this by email and am know awaiting their responce.
73 de Mike VK3KTO

[VK3BA]

G'day all, an update re my situation...

Today I received a response from the ACMA. Basically the response mentioned that yes, my payment has been received, however the ACMA is experiencing a problem with the issue of licences where payments are being made for licences but those licences are not being granted. I can still operate under the conditions of the licence and when the system has been fixed I will receive confirmation of my licence renewals. But if I still don't see the updates reflected on the ACMA database by the end of this week, I've been advised to make further contact with the ACMA for further escalation. Should I need to bother? Probably not. But then it would be nice to have the ACMA online database to be a true reflection of my licensing status - for others to verify that I'm a currently licensed operator and not a pirate.

This is for my amateur license and a non-assigned outpost license.

This might then bring into question... the situation that you may find yourself in during a QSO with an amateur operator/station that you haven't worked before and would like to verify his or her status if you happened to have some doubts. Can the ACMA online database be relied upon in such a circumstance?

Personally, I found the previous incarnation of the ACMA payment & renewal system much better than the arrangement that we have to work with now. Previously, if one was to sort out ones renewals via the online payment portal or over the phone, that it would be reflected on the online database the next day, given overnight database updates.

In hindsight, I wish I'd taken some screenshots during the transactions to help demonstrate what's happening.

As for some other licensing issues that I've since given up on, next time I'll sort it out in writing instead of being provided with a verbal reassurance that something was going to be actioned or updated, which of course wasn't.

I'm not having a crack at the ACMA staff at the grass-roots level - I would be quite open to another discussion with an ACMA field operative. But I do sometimes ponder what is occurring upstairs, at management or policy level.

I find it all very disappointing, but nevertheless, I shall move on with better things to occupy my time with...

Cheers,

[VK3MIX]

I checked our club PO box just over a week ago with nothing but a bank statement, I knew the clubs license & repeater license were up for renewal in July sometime. I have only just remembered tonight that I should check the renewal date and they both expiry today. People blame the Australia Post for these delays in receiving these invoices/renewal notices but unfortunately I don't except that as a good reason because I have had many items sent to me in the last month from the west coast to the east coast from up north to down south in under a week with Australia Post. It seems very likely to me that the ACMA are delaying these renewal notices some how. Even my own license back in June was received less than 5 days before it was due to expire. I wonder how many people have lost or haven't realised they are now without a license.

[VK3BA]

G'day all,

I've checked my licenses today, after having been told by the ACMA that all would be fixed by the 29th. Still expired. I've since sent off another enquiry re this.

Also today I note on the WIA website that license applications have been suspended yesterday while the problem is resolved... http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2 ... /index.php

Cheers,

[VK3MIX]

Let us know how you go Nik.

I paid the clubs two licenses the day after they were due early this week and I checked today after seeing your post and they show up as expired. I had to get the ACMA to email the invoice as we still had not received it by the due date.

[VK4CLG]

I'm glad I checked my licence on the ACMA data base. I B-payed my licence fee 2 weeks ago and it's come up on the ACMA data base as expired.
So the 64 million dollar questions am I still legal to be on air or do I have to wait for the ACMA to fix it's problem and suffer because of their incompetence before going back on air.

VK4LHD